American Water Heater ADCG, DCG3-Series Emergency Shut Down, Checking the Draft, Burner Flames

Index

Emergency Shut Down

Important: If overheating occurs or the gas supply fails to shut off, close the manual gas supply valve and turn the gas control knob to the off position. Turn off the electrical supply to the unit and close the cold water supply valve. Do not operate the water heater again until it has been thoroughly checked by a qualified service technician.

Checking the Draft

Burn Hazard

Do not touch vent.

Doing so can result in burns.

After successfully lighting the water heater, allow the unit to operate for 15 minutes and check the drafthood relief opening for proper draft. Pass a match flame around the relief opening of the drafthood (See Figure 14). A steady flame drawn into the opening indicates proper draft. If the flame flutters or is blown out, combustion products are escaping from the relief opening. If this occurs, do not operate the water heater until proper adjustments or repairs are made to the vent pipe system.

Figure 14: Vent Draft Test

Burner Flames

Inspect the burner flames through the viewport and compare them to the drawings in Figure 15. A properly operating burner should produce a soft blue flame and be about 2”(51mm) to 2 -1/2”(64mm) in height. Blue tips with yellow inner cones are satisfactory. The tips of the flame may have a slight yellow tint. The flame should not be all yellow or have a sharp blue-orange color. Contaminated air may cause an orange colored flame. Contact a qualified service technician if the flame is not satisfactory.

Figure 15: Pilot/Burner Flame

2 - 2 1/2”

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Operational Conditions

Condensation

Moisture from the products of combustion condenses on the tank surface and the outside jacket of the water heater and forms drops of water which may fall onto the burner or other hot surfaces. This will produce a “siz- zling” or “frying” noise. This condensation is normal and should not be confused with a leaking tank. Condensation may increase or decrease at different times of the year.

High efficient energy saver water heaters will produce larger amounts of condensation on initial start up or when a large amount of hot water is being used. Do not confuse this with a “tank leak”. Once the water reaches a temperature of 120°F (49°C) and the tank warms up (usually 1-2 hours), the condensation will stop.

Important: It is always recommended that a suitable drain pan be installed under the water heater to protect the area from water damage resulting from normal condensation production, a leaking tank or piping connections. Under no circumstances is the manufac- turer to be held responsible for any water damage in connection with this water heater.

Water Heater Sounds

During the normal operation of the water heater sounds or noises may be heard. These noises are common and may result from the following:

1.Normal expansion and contraction of metal parts during periods of heat-up and cool-down.

2.Condensation causes sizzling and popping within the burner area and should be considered normal.

3.Sediment buildup in the tank bottom will create varying amounts of noise and may cause premature tank failure. Drain and flush the tank as directed under “Draining and Flushing”.

Smoke/Odor

The water heater may give off a small amount of smoke and odor during the initial start-up of the unit. This is due to the burning off of oil from metal parts of a new unit and will disappear after a few minutes of operation.

Safety Shut-off

This water heater is designed to automatically shut-off in the event of the following:

1.The pilot flame is extinguished for any reason.

2.The water temperature exceeds 205°F (96°C).

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